Red Sox Will Go Slow with John Smoltz

No, that old guy in the red sweats isn't part of the grounds crew. That's future Hall-of-Famer John Smoltz.

The 42-year-old former Brave -- bald, a bit scraggly and unshaven and with just a hint of a tummy -- arrived at Red Sox camp in Fort Myers, Fla., without missing a beat, taking part in conditioning drills with other players young enough to be his sons, never giving a hint that he was anything but his familiar, indomitable, unrestrainable, competitive old self.

"I don't doubt that there's going to be times when we have to sit on him, and we will," manager Terry Francona told The Boston Globe.

Francona envisions Smoltz returning to action by June 1, coming along slowly as he recovers from shoulder surgery. How Smoltz feels and performs -- and how the Red Sox rotation and bullpen is doing -- likely will help determine whether he will start or come out of the pen.

Tom Glavine's Injury Leaves Hole in Braves Rotation

The outlook for the Braves rotation remains muddled with Tom Glavine's latest collapse, an outing which saw him give up four walks, seven hits and seven runs in just four innings in last week's loss to the Cubs.

Struggling with elbow pain, the 42-year-old lefty was unable to achieve much more than 80-mph on his fastball, and he immediately returned to the disabled list to await a probable examination of his torn flexor tendon by famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews.

It could mean the end of his career.

"It's a little sore now," Glavine told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "(I'll) see how it feels tomorrow and the next day. It feels the same as it felt in my two rehab starts."

For the season, Glavine is 2-4 with a 5.54 ERA, and with this latest trouble is the third member of the big three in the Braves rotation to go down succession, John Smoltz and Tim Hudson having been disabled with season-ending surgery. Moreover, Mike Hampton remains a question mark, having surrendered five hits and six runs in four innings in his last outing against the Diamondbacks.

The Braves have called up Matt DeSalvo from Triple A Richmond to replace Glavine, but as a reliever he is no solution in the team's effort to fill out the rotation.

John Smoltz to Halt Rehab, Rejoin Braves

An additional rehabilitation appearance by Braves hurler John Smoltz -- as recently as Monday thought to be a 50-50 option -- has evidently been rejected and Smoltz likely will return to the team forthwith, MLB News Online has learned.

Expect Smoltz to join the team during the Braves ongoing road trip, with a potential that he could appear out of the bullpen as soon as the series against Milwaukee, and no later than the end of the week, an organizational source said.

Smoltz, 41, has been observed experimenting with a lower arm angle to hasten his return, but early success with it may portend of trouble.

While in active rehab, Smoltz threw to hitters this past week but was mum on his progress afterwards in what is tantamount to a media blackout, with even his handlers reticent after Smoltz allowed one hit on 12 pitches for Double A Mississippi in a road game against the Smokies in Kodak, Tenn.

Some tightness Smoltz reportedly was feeling Sunday is not the critical issue. More important was the fact that he changed his arm angle during the outing, indicating he is not free of pain in his pitching shoulder. It's quite possible this points to the beginning of the end for the Cooperstown-bound Smoltz, according to an independent medical assessment based in part on archival data and general medical histories.

When a pitcher in this class of talent changes his pitching motion, it can induce series of adverse biomechanical events to the ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, and elbow, such as in the case of Hall of
Famer Sandy Koufax.

Koufax was struck by a batted ball in the foot which resulted in his having to favor the injury in order to pitch, ruining his arm and unraveling his career. There is no way to know if this is absolutely cause and effect with either Koufax or Smoltz, but when a pitcher of this caliber sees a necessity to alter his motion, after having paid the bills with it for so many years, there is reason to believe his undoing is right around the corner.

Outlook for John Smoltz Still Unclear

Though John Smoltz struck out six while surrendering just two hits in his most recent victory -- his decision to take himself out of the game after throwing just 78 pitches over five innings points to continued health difficulties for the 41-year-old Atlanta Braves ace.

Having missed time early last year and again this spring due to discomfort when he throws, Smoltz appears to be taking it easy on his troubled shoulder to make sure not to overstress it, which of course could undercut his potential numbers of starts for the remainder of the season.

Smoltz took himself out early in the 3-1 win over the Mets even though he hates to come out of a game before the sixth inning, having averaged approximately 6.5 innings per appearance last year and over the past four years since he left the bullpen for the rotation.

Smoltz frequently lasts into the seventh inning and occasionally beyond, and has a dogmatic objective to do so, which can be expected to be his goal for the rest of the year if he can only stay healthy.

Deja Vu All Over Again for John Smoltz

That same troublesome shoulder that bothered John Smoltz for the first half of last year before ultimately putting him on the disabled list, is acting up again.

But this time Smoltz is going to try to outsmart it.

Smoltz, a candidate for the disabled list again this year, indicated to Atlanta Journal-Constitution baseball beat writer David O'Brien that he would try to overcome the problem this year by thinking positively and not obsessing over it.

"... I'm gonna change that mind-set," Smoltz said.

Apparently Smoltz's strategy runs counter to the trainer's advice to rub some dirt on it and walk it off.